Coroner reveals cause of death for elderly couple who disappeared from nudist ranch

By Matthew Rodriguez

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    SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — The San Bernardino County authorities revealed the cause of death of an elderly couple who disappeared from a Redlands nudist ranch earlier this month.

The San Bernardino County Coroner determined Stephanie Menard, 73, and Daniel Menard, 79, died from blunt-force trauma to the head and classified their deaths as a homicide. Neighbors last saw the couple alive on Aug. 24 at their home at the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort.

The community became concerned after the couple didn’t attend church the following day.

What happened after the couple went missing

The Redlands Police Department began searching for the Menards shortly after they were reported missing. They suspected foul play in the elderly couple’s disappearance after someone told them that their next-door neighbor may have been involved.

“We suspect that there may have been foul play,” Redlands spokesperson Carl Baker said. “While we were here, knocking on doors and canvassing the area, we got information that a person who is potentially involved in the disappearance of the couple was here.”

The tip started an hours-long standoff between the police and neighbor Michael Royce Sparks, 62. After learning that Sparks was armed, officers tried to coax him out of the building before destroying his home with armored vehicles. With the home leveled to the ground, police found Sparks inside of a concrete space underneath his house. The District Attorney’s Office described it as a “homemade basement-type area.”

“He did have a rifle and he did attempt to kill himself when police discovered him, but the rifle misfired,” Baker said the day after Sparks’ arrest.

Police dogs found human remains, later determined to be the Menards, along with “bags of evidence” the following morning.

“I just want them back,” said Sandy Marinelli, who has been friends with the couple for more than a decade. “They don’t deserve this. … They’re just good people. They go to church. They don’t deserve any of this.”

Michael Royce Sparks

Immediately after the standoff, police arrested Sparks for the elderly couple’s death. Days later, the San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderon charged Sparks with two counts of murder with a special allegation of multiple murders. Prosecutors did not say whether the alleged killing are believed to be premeditated.

Tammie Wilkerson, who also lives at the ranch, said Sparks had an ongoing dispute with the Menards.

“He didn’t like them. He hated them, and he told me many times,” Wilkerson said. “It’s such a stupid reason. They had a tree that was on their property line, and Dan used to go trim the limbs and he hated that. That formed his hatred towards them.”

He pleaded not guilty in early September. He’s expected to appear in court again on Oct. 18.

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